Volvo’s top-selling model – the XC60 – needs revamping if it wants to remain relevant in a crowded field of upscale compact sport utility vehicles. The 2017 Volvo XC60 is showing its age. Recognizing the existing model kept losing ground to strong competitors like the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Lexus NX 200t, and […]
Travel/Golf/Auto reviews
2017 Kia Niro: impressive new Hybrid
There’s no disguising the goal: provide a vehicle that challenges the Toyota Prius, the current undisputed king of the gas-saving cars. The folks at Kia believe they may have developed a worthy rival in the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid. Kia labels the Niro a compact hybrid crossover sport utility vehicle. Not everyone agrees with Kia’s […]
2017 Acura MDX: versatile and classy
There are two sides to the Acura MDX. It can serve as the cool three-row sport utility vehicle that laboriously can take a carload of kids to various destinations, or be the comfortable, classy mode of travel for a small family. Now in its eighth year of production by Honda’s luxury division, the 2017 Acura […]
Annika Sorenstam golf weekend at Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe will once again be able to receive golf tips from Annika Sorenstam. Arguably the best woman to ever play on the LPGA tour, Sorenstam will be at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe for a third straight year, offering an exclusive golf weekend July 21-23. Members of the The Ritz-Carlton Rewards […]
Redesigned 2017 Hyundai Elantra keeps improving
Just because a vehicle goes through a redesign, don’t assume that means new is better. In some instances, that’s not true. However, that’s not the case with the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. Give it up for the Hyundai engineers, who equipped the redesigned Elantra with three new engines, a freshened exterior styling, added a seven-speed dual-clutch […]
Ford Fusion revamped for 2017
It didn’t take long for the Ford Fusion to gain popularity. The midsize sedan debuted in 2006 and 11 years later the vehicle is still competing with the heavyweights in its class. The problem for the Fusion is competition – it’s fierce. The segment includes Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda 6, Toyota Camry; Volkswagen Passat, […]
Minivan with style: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
Once the rage and deemed the vehicle of choice for “soccer moms” everywhere, minivan sales peaked in the early 2000s and has slowly subsided ever since. This year Chrysler bid farewell to the Town & Country minivan, an automobile it had produced for more than two decades with some degree of success. Realizing the peak […]
Woodinville: Washington’s premiere wine region
BY JEFFREY WEIDEL Californians love their wine. Well, guess what, so do people in Washington, who also know quite a bit about the art of winemaking. Washington is the second largest premium wine (wines sold for $8 or higher) producer in the U. S., trailing only California. Located 30 miles northeast of Seattle, Woodinville Wine […]
Seattle: A summertime playground for tourists
BY JEFFREY WEIDEL It doesn’t take long for a visitor to arrive at the realization that there’s a mind-blowing natural beauty to the Seattle region. With a week to really get to know Seattle and all its many intriguing areas, guess what? Upon departure, my wife and I felt there were so many more things […]
2017 Subaru Impreza an impressive hatchback
Although definitely more of a sport utility vehicle kind of guy, I can also see the attraction car buyers have for hatchbacks. It doesn’t seem that long ago when hatchbacks were shunned. In some circles, they became known as “notchbacks” and “liftbacks,” two terms that weren’t flattering for a vehicle that many people considered a […]